A common charge thrown at Democrats by the ‘Thugs and their media henchmen is that Dems are nothing but obstructionists, that they are the party of no, that they are incapable of proposing policy to move the country forward. Yesterday, Maria Cantwell (D-WA), proved that not only are those charges baseless, but that when the ‘Thugs say these things, they are merely projecting their own self image upon the Democrats.
The measure, which Cantwell wanted to attach to the energy bill, was defeated 53-47 on a mostly party-line vote.
Cantwell, D-Wash., expressed disappointment with the outcome, noting that Democrats, Republicans and President Bush have all agreed that the nation should move to lessen its dependence on foreign supplies. The United States currently imports 58 percent of the 21 million barrels of oil it consumes every day.
“Unfortunately, the concern we’ve been hearing from the president and Republican leaders about America’s dependence on foreign oil is just empty rhetoric,” Cantwell said. “They had a chance to throw a strike for the economic and national security of our nation, and they balked.”
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Cantwell attracted three Republican votes — Sens. Lincoln Chaffee of Rhode Island, Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania — while one Democrat, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, voted against the amendment.
A primarily party line vote that acknowledges the Republican Party’s desire to keep us hooked on foreign oil. Dependence on foreign oil is the greatest threat to American national and economic security we face. Real leaders, like Cantwell and Jay Inslee, both key members of the Apollo Alliance, are working to resolve this problem. Meanwhile, Republicans play party politics and continue to expose us to the danger of doing nothing.
Wonderfully summarized, Lapin.
And i hope everyone remembers Sen. Cantwell in ’06. She’s going to need all the help she can get.
Thanks for a short but sweet diary Lapin. Guess what I am trying to say is more like well done, right to the point. Let’s remember debbie Stabenow of Michigan too. Seems to me she is right up there withJoementum and voting with the repugs alot!
Thanks for the diary. The true interests of the Repugs couldn’t be more obvious, or their actions here more transparent. Of course this too will receive little notice. Why can’t the Repugs see that moving away from reliance on foreign oil is actually in their long term interests? Are short term profits paramount above all else?
we don’t know. We’ll all be dead.
Not yours, Lapin, for which thanks. The Seattle PI. Not a word of how she proposed to reach the goal, what it would take, nothing. Only the political brawl. Guess I’ll have to find something elsewhere.
And it comes down to the same old song: ah, if only…. If only we had more Dean types in the Dem party, if only we had a political force to the left of Nixon….
The GOP has provided enough ammo to wipe them out next year. The party of NO — no public broadcasting. No energy independence. No freedom to choose. No help for pain. No honest voting. No public transportation. No death with dignity. No international cooperation. No social security. No gene-based medical breakthroughs. No end to a fraudulent war. No intelligence. No honor. No integrity. No character. No values.
The GOP keeps pitching us slow balls. When are we going to hit the home run, dammit? We think too small. The Dem goal at this point is not to take back a house in Congress. The medium-term goal has to be the destruction of the GOP as a major party. They’ve really gone too far.
More good stuff there.